Timberwolves Leave Vikings Looking Over Their Shoulders

Prep softball

Larry Bieber, coach of the defending A-1 state champion Coeur d’Alene High softball team, pointed to Lake City during a postgame talk with his team.

“I said `You see that team over there. That’s the team you’ve got to beat if you want to be state champs again,”’ Bieber said after Lake City stunned the Vikings, 6-0, in the first Inland Empire League game between the city rivals Thursday.

The city of Coeur d’Alene still has a team atop the IEL standings, but it’s not CdA after the Timberwolves outplayed the Vikings in nearly every facet of the game.

LC vaulted into first place at 6-0 while moving to 10-3 overall. CdA is 8-1 and 14-3.

The teams will meet again May 1 at CdA in a doubleheader that should decide the league title and top seed to regionals. If Lake City and CdA continue to dominate the other IEL teams, the Timberwolves will need just a split to secure the league crown.

On the other side of the field, meanwhile, first-year LC coach Darren Taylor cautioned his players to keep the victory in perspective.

“I told them no excessive jubilation,” Taylor said. “We can’t get too high about this. We’re at midseason. If that’s your biggest game of the year, you’re not going to be happy at the end of the season.”

Still, Taylor was overjoyed by his team’s execution. The Timberwolves hit with runners in scoring position, came up with big defensive plays in key situations and received solid pitching from sophomore Bobbi Darretta.

Darretta (9-2) may have had just four strikeouts, but she allowed only four hits. She worked out of three jams as CdA stranded 11 runners.

“She threw some great pitches when she had to,” Taylor said. “She hit some spots with two strikes and runners in scoring position. We sat the (catcher’s) mitt inside and bang, she hit it. It was just a masterful game.”

Coeur d’Alene’s junior pitcher Blake Hoorelbeke (11-2) had just three strikeouts and allowed eight hits.

Lake City struck early, scoring two runs in the first inning. Jill Ashkinos and Megan Carpenter both singled, and Kelli O’Hara laced a two-out, two-run single up the middle.

The big inning for LC came in the fourth when it scored four runs. The T-Wolves received an early boost in the inning when CdA made a couple of mental errors.

LC loaded the bases when Monica Lang reached base on a dropped third strike and Brandi Brumley was safe on a fielder’s choice when Hoorelbeke tried to throw out Shelby McIntosh, who had ventured off third base. McIntosh got back under the attempted tag, setting the table for the four runs to follow.

Ingrid Lochelt and Ashkinos had run-scoring singles and Darretta helped herself with a two-run single down the right-field line.

LC may have wondered if it could beat CdA before the game. But the T-Wolves answered their own questions.

“Coeur d’Alene is the best team we’ve seen, no doubt,” Taylor said. “We figured we could (win), but now we know. Things are on track.”

Bieber thinks the loss could be the best thing for his team.

“We got beat by a better team today,” Bieber said. “They were better in every aspect of the game. They were on to Blake. Early on, she wasn’t throwing her changeup for strikes. That’s what really hurt.”

Both teams return to league play Saturday. Lake City will entertain Lewiston and CdA will play host to Sandpoint. Both are doubleheaders, beginning at noon.

Jessica Forsberg threw a four-hitter in the opener and Heather Kreider tossed a five-hitter in the second game, leading Timberlake (9-3, 5-2) to a 16-2, 14-3 sweep at St. Maries in the Intermountain League.

Casi Reisenauer and Brittney Fulwiler tripled in the first game for the Tigers. Lindsey Harpole had two hits, including a double, in the first game for the Lumberjacks (9-6, 3-3).

Also in the IML, Bonners Ferry (1-10, 1-8) scored 12 unearned runs during a 17-9 win at Priest River (4-7, 3-6).

Julie Bateman earned the win and had three hits. Nikki Yount hit a grand slam in the fourth for the Spartans (4-7, 3-6).

Rochelle Gill’s single in the fifth snapped a 6-all tie, and Lewiston (9-6) defeated visiting West Valley 7-6 in a non-leaguer.

Angie Burtzoff had three hits but took the loss for the Eagles (5-6).

Washington softball

Jamie Merrill struck out 10 and pitched a one-hitter in Rogers’ 5-2 Greater Spokane League win over visiting Mead (3-9, 2-8).

Crystal Humphries hit a solo homer and Shronna Martin had two hits for Rogers (8-3, 7-3). Betsie Rayner had the lone hit off Merrill, a first-inning triple.

Rachael Kinservik (5-2) threw a two-hitter, striking out eight and walking two, and Kettle Falls (6-2, 3-1) defeated visiting Lakeside 10-1 in the Great Northern League.

Kinservik also doubled twice. Lacey Jones had three hits, including a double, for Kettle Falls. The Eagles are 1-6, 0-4.